


Stay

by Renkodaichi (orphan_account)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Attempt at Humor, Harry needs a job, Job-Hunting, M/M, No Magic AU, One-Shot, Romance, Sexual Themes, Swearing and Language, Tom and Harry are living together (Somewhat), Tom is kind of an asshole, and so is Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 13:40:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11692800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Renkodaichi
Summary: Harry's just looking for a job and so far he is unsuccessful.Living with Tom Riddle while he does so isn't helping him one bit.





	Stay

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all.

He would rather be in a tropical land.  
  
Surrounded with lots and **lots** of warm sunshine, seawater, hot chicks, those umbrella-dressed pineapple drinks and all that Jazz, however, reality acted like a vindictive motherfucking bitch.  
  
Harry’s red flushed face frowned as he sat on the floor of the spacious semi-dark living room in futile hopes to get heat out of the smart heating system under the flooring.  
  
"And now! The winner of the brand new Volkswagen is-"  
  
Who cares about a stupid moron winning a stupid car on a lame show? That lame ass show was only on, because whenever he was sitting around alone, surrounded by crickets chirping, he would open the chatterbox (television) to fill in the void of stillness.  
  
Damn it, it was only getting colder he could feel the frost forming on his freaking body.  
  
After hearing the door ring, he stood up and slipped his feet into slippers, moaning about how his body felt like it was petrified and then breaking into pieces as he walked towards the door.  
  
"It's about time you show up." He greeted, in his own unique way.  
  
"Is this the shittiest day or what?" Tom shook his head, going inside, taking off his shoes and throwing his keys and backpack on the couch. "The work doesn't end, Potter. Mountain fucking Everest is technically on top of my desk."  
  
Harry huffed in his hands, and followed the other, still shivering from the cold.  
  
"May God be with you."  
  
"Make fun of me you asshole." Tom snapped.  
  
It happens when you work almost twelve hours a day. You get cranky, you get anti-social, you get gloomy, and basically you become the world's worst rank bastard.  
  
"Keep talking shit about me and you're never getting that bath, dinner, bedtime story or even a Goodnight kiss."  
  
"Mommy, why are you doing this to me?" The stoic dick made sure he sounds like a small a kid and not a twenty two year old adult, "So bath is ready?"  
  
"Bath is ready. Leave your dirty clothes in the hamper. Tomorrow is Laundry day. I swear to God I'm gonna strangle you one day for leaving your clothes everywhere. Do you know that I spend a fortune on washing detergents, rather than spending it on food?"  
  
"Stop bitching around, it's not like you're paying it from your own pocket."  
  
"Yes mister supplier." Harry mocked as he sat on the carpeted floor once more, taking a glance at the television.  
  
"A Volkswagen? What the hell were you watching? That's so lame."  
  
"I know. That shit is made for fraud purposes." Harry agreed.  
  
"Then why are you watching it?" The other looked analytically at him.  
  
"Because when you're not here to color my life with shit of happiness, It gets too damn quiet, and I get lonely."  
  
Tom scoffed at him because of the generic unemotional answer and headed for the bathroom, then suddenly, he walked backwards and glared at Harry with a threatening attitude.  
  
"By the way," He started with a low voice that got higher, "If I get in that tub and find another Michael Angelo in it, I'll kick your ass out of my house for sure."  
  
Harry grinned, "Whaaat~? It was a very cute turtle and I couldn't resist the temptation of creating a natural atmosphere for you while you soak in peace."  
  
"Except that I hate reptiles so damn much and a real turtle swimming beside me is just downright despicable. One more stunt and I'll-"  
  
"JEEEEEEZ! There is nothing in your bathtub! Trust me for today baby."  
  
"So there is no Donatello this time?" Tom crossed his arms, investigating.  
  
"Not even Raphael. Can you make this faster? I'm starving here and dinner is going to turn into pieces of freaking frostbites."  
  
The jackass gave him one more I-am-watching-you looks and then disappeared into the bathroom. Tom says he hates reptiles but that guy has this weird fascination (obsession) with snakes.  
  
Lame-ass.  
  
Harry smiled to himself, proud of his last prank on Tom. He huffed one more time into his hands, and went into the kitchen to prepare his and Tom's dinner. It was simple sweet and sour chicken with white long grain rice and garden salad. He wanted to make desserts, but felt too lazy to accomplish the mission in the freezing weather.  
  
Instead, he made fresh pineapple and coconut juice, and saved some leftover bread and jam if they were up for it, later.  
  
The small smile kept glued all over his face when he prepared the dining table, laid the plates, distributed spoons, glasses. He never got tired of it, and every time he did it, he felt some sort of satisfaction—only he'll never let Tom sniff anything about it.  
  
When they were eating, Harry couldn't help but to think that Tom needed a serious vacation.  
  
"Be a dear, and pour your guts about your work issues." Harry suggested.  
  
"Please, I've had enough of that mind-fuck. Home is for you and me."  
  
"Awww, I'm so touched. Still. I'd like to hear your whining for a change."  
  
Tom chewed his food slowly and resisted laughing. "Well, it's not really something, but remember how I told you about that project my team was in charge of?"  
  
"Yeah, the one that was canceled by another assholic project division and the one you grieved over for three weeks? The same one that made you kill my blood circulation for putting extra-salt in your food?"  
  
"Surprisingly, you hold a grudge." Tom stabbed the fork in his chicken.  
  
"Not at all, but it was a memorable event."  
  
"Anyways," Tom coughed, "The assholic division that canceled and then held that project are now being—oh oh oh—dismantled. It was so fucking crazy you know? Like I was walking and practically saying 'in your damn faces fuckers', I felt sheer victory."  
  
Some people are just so vindictive. Like Tom Riddle.  
  
"They are being dismantled? Wow. You win, game over."  
  
"I know. I'm so freaking ecstatic-hand me the salt."  
  
"Mm? Well, good, I don't have to worry about you releasing temper tantrums on my poor head." He passed the salt and stood up, taking his plate to the sink, then returned back to continue his (boring to others, but really fun to himself) talk with Tom.  
  
An hour later, they were finished with dinner. Tom on his laptop, the television open with no one to watch, and Harry with some classified newspapers in front of him on the dining table.  
  
Useless-check.  
  
Stupid-check.  
  
Not good enough-check.  
  
Bad enough-check.  
  
GAWD. Harry wanted to pull his hair out in frustration.  
  
"Give it up, there is no customized vacant jobs for Harry Potter in the whole world, let alone Canada."  
  
The bastard was snickering as he continued gawking at the laptop screen.  
  
"Shut up, TOM. I'm gonna find a very nice job, kick your ass, and I will be working soon enough."  
  
" **Right**. Wait a minute, Why do those words sound so familiar? Yeah, cause I heard them last month."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes and continued marking the best possible ads with a scowl.  
  
"I'm ready to sleep." Tom closed the laptop and stood up, stretching, "Want to join me?"  
  
"No, I still need to look at those. You go ahead."  
  
The boy sighed, then went over and ruffled his head briefly, making him slightly shocked from the touch, "Don't over work yourself and don't be so late."  
  
"… Ah… Yeah, ok. Go ahead."  
  
Harry reached over the top his head when Tom was absent and felt the blood rushing in his ears.  
  
Damn it, he needed to find a job, not get sucked away by Tom.

* * *

  
  
_" For Godsake Harry Potter! You've been living with Riddle for what?! Three months? That's the longest you've ever stayed with anyone of us! Do you fucking know what does that fucking mean?"_  
  
"Yes, Hermione. I'm loving this city."  
  
_" YOU **Hate** cold! It's practically freezing over there!"_  
  
"Well yeah it has some advantages."  
  
_"Name three."_ Hermione sighed over the other end of the phone.  
  
"Ah… quiet compound, lots of job opportunities, nice-pet… shop?"  
  
Hermione growled. _"First of all, you hate anything quiet. You haven't got a job in **forever** , and-ok, maybe the pet shop thing is valid-BUT. Harry you are already head over heels for Tom. It's time you made any development in this sucking-friendship-status-relationship! I can't take it anymore!"_  
  
Harry sweat dropped. "What's your business in all of this? Stop imagining weird things."  
  
_"HARRYYYY!"_  
  
Boy, does that girl scream like a bitch?! He moved the phone away from his ears, twitching, then huffed and put it back. "Look, I'm just staying with him until I can find a job, after that, I'm out. You know how I don't like to stay in one place for too long."  
  
_"Harry, I know you like him. Remember high school?"_  
  
"When I was a silly teenager with defected hormones and a stupid man-crush? Suuuuure, I remember that."  
  
_"You can deny it all you want. But look at you! You are practically settling down. Don't say a word and listen to me! You got in my house for a week and then you took off. Same thing with Luna, Seamus, Neville, etcetra, etcetra, etcetra. Don't you think that you are being so comfortable around him? Because you obviously madly in love with him?! Stop being a coward and do something about it! You can't hibernate forever, otherwise, sooner or later, a woman is going to snatch him from you!"_  
  
Harry winced. His ears were bleeding. "Listen-"  
  
_"She's going to snatch him from you! And you know what? Find a job instead of creating an excuse by sounding like a freaking house wife!"_  
  
He scoffed. "I DON'T sound like that at all. Hold up, I'm watching the laundry, and if Tom's clothes got all pink, I'll sue you, bitch."  
  
_"GRAAAAAAAAAAH!"_  
  
"FUCK! MY EARS!"  
  
_"YOU STUPID MORON!"_  
  
"WITCH!"  
  
_"That's it! I'm hanging up you coward!"_  
  
Harry sighed for long and shouted like a five year old and not a twenty two year old adult.  
  
He can't believe how his face felt so warmed up over a stupid conversation. Yes, he was looking for a damn job, he moved among his friends' houses in different areas for job hunt, but his never-widening ass got tired so easily from being deployed in one place for too damn long.  
  
Never once, he stayed long enough to even complete a month. Yet, here he is, making a damn record out of lazing in Tom's apartment for like… forever. Well, Tom wasn't a nice guy, but he let him stay in return of doing the house chores or else he'd be a parasite like Tom has mentioned three months prior.  
  
He was getting so comfortable. He felt comfortable enough, and it didn't give him a job. It gave him Tom Riddle's company.  
  
And he didn't need it anymore, it was getting too painful because Harry was so close to the bastard man of his dreams (yes, sadly), yet, he wasn't able to do anything about it.  
  
The washing machine beeped.  
  
And Harry felt pathetic.

* * *

When they were eating dinner, Harry remained uncharacteristically quiet, pretending to watch the television.  
  
"Something wrong?"  
  
Crap.  
  
"No." He knew he didn't sound so convincing.  
  
"No? Then why are you barely touching your food? Tell me what's wrong."  
  
Harry stared into concerned dark brown eyes for what seems like forever, before he feels a shiver running down his spine and looking ahead again, playing the food with his fork.  
  
"There's just… Nothing. Normal thinking that's all."  
  
"Like what? Tell me."  
  
"Well, like-"  
  
"-Oh hold on."  
  
Tom reached over for his ringing phone and answered.  
  
"Yes, Hello?"  
  
Harry thank god. That was close. He felt glad that Tom's phone rang, he could use it as a diversion.  
  
"-My house? Sorry, it's kind of tricky. I've my annoying friend staying over… well if you want we can go to a café or something. Yeah, it's a date, I will see you then."  
  
Harry's eyes widened. Then he felt something gripping his heart so tightly.  
  
"Agh, someone wanted to come to your house?"  
  
"Yeah, some new girl in the company. Her name is Bellatrix and guess what? French."  
  
He slowly nodded, never breaking eye-contact with the food.  
  
"Don't you think she's too… bold?"  
  
A while passed before Tom slowly rested his chin on his intertwined fingers on the table and gave Harry a challenging look.  
  
"For her obvious and honest want to have sex with me and for telling me that she oh-so-much likes me and for being so blatantly frank? I like **bold** , **bold** is my color, if everybody got **bold** , then I'll be more at ease, and my problems will become less."  
  
There was an underlying meaning in every word that Tom spoke of, but he didn't want to even think about it. So he simply brushed off the comment and nodded, looking at the television.  
  
"Good… for you."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Washing off after dinner, Harry headed for the guest room and sighed. Now he was an obstacle in Tom's love life?! Unbelievable, he wanted so bad to roll on the ground until he's out of Tom's damn apartment. Seriously, he has to get out of there.

* * *

Harry continued to browse through the ads, and Tom was napping on the couch. Harry felt that cold again and shuddered. Tom was an asshole who liked to keep the heater very ineffective.  
  
Damn it.  
  
He went to the room and got a blanket to cover the dick of a person because of pure kindness. And well, he won't let the man he loves gets sick.  
  
So when his phone rang, he took it quickly and went to the balcony to speak there (in the freezing weather) because often times, Tom hated his nap being disturbed, and then Harry would end up paying for the electricity bill.  
  
"Yes, Harry speaking."  
  
_"Harry! It's good to finally hear your voice!"_  
  
"Wait a minute… Ron? Oh my fucking god, how… what… my god!"  
  
His friend laughed on the other side, _"I called ‘Mione, and she gave me your number. I'm so glad I called you."_  
  
"I'm so glad I get to hear from you again. Man, how long has it been?! Since high school?"  
  
_"YUP. Somehow ‘Mione reached me and when she did, I was sure that I will reach you. How have you been? I heard from ‘Mione that you're searching for a job."_  
  
"Yeah it's-it's been tough. Jobs are never easy to find."  
  
_"Harry, Why don't you come live with me? We'll search together since I'm having the same dreading experience."_  
  
"Ah, won't it be a bother?" Harry got taken back by Ron's suggestion.  
  
_"Not at all. ‘Mione mentioned something about you in need of extra motivation and other places to search for a job. We can help each other."_  
  
Harry laughed. "Be careful, I might take you up on that offer."  
  
_"I want you to. My place is open for you."_  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
_"Yeah."_  
  
"Yeah, okay. Let me think about it and I will get back to you."  
  
_"Take your time. And Harry, it's nice to hear from you again."_  
  
"Likewise nice-guy. Goodnight."  
  
Unknowingly to him, Tom stood, leaning on the frame of the balcony with a hidden expression in his eyes.

* * *

He thought about it for Hours. Days. A week.  
  
Then he reached to a final decision.  
  
Ugh, he placed the last of his clothing inside a mini-size suitcase and locked it. Tomorrow was the day he was going to leave Tom's apartment. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but he forced himself to accept it. The facts are there, Tom has an independent life, he wants to have a love life. Harry thought that being in the way sucked, but being away from Tom sucked even more.  
  
The last month he felt the place growing on him. He still didn't know how on earth he was going to leave tomorrow after that long time filled with a hell a lot of pleasant memories and everything.  
  
He got out of his room to find Tom awake, watching television.  
  
"Hey, still awake?"  
  
"Mmm." Tom nodded, "Done packing?"  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
"… Harry come here for a minute."  
  
"What's this about?"  
  
"Just come sit."  
  
Harry rubbed his arm and felt nervous as he sat on the sofa in front of the other.  
  
"What?" He inquired.  
  
"Why are you doing this? I'm not against the idea, but I just want to know the reason very clearly."  
  
He huffed in his hand from the cold with reddened cheeks, then chuckled, "Because you never turn the heater to maximum. There are no human rights in this damn house."  
  
"Be serious."  
  
Tom WAS serious.  
  
"Don't look so uptight, ok? It's just… you know how it has been for me. And I don't like to stay in one place for too long. I mean three months are phenomenal."  
  
"But is it enough reason to move out? This bullshit is enough?"  
  
Harry flinched. "Alright, you know what? You have to have a good sport, accept it, and don't act like a bitch during break up."  
  
"Do you want to do this? Look at me and answer this question." Tom's strong gaze bored into his soul, and Harry has to say that it's completely illegal for human beings to read one another's thoughts or even TRY to.  
  
"Um." Harry looked at the other and struggled with words, "Tom look… You… You are a fantastic guy. Despite the fact that you made me go through hell sometimes, you accepted me in your house and… it's all amazing and everything but I haven't got the chance to do what I wanted to do when I first came."  
  
"Is it because of me?"  
  
"What? No, no, of course not. It's just… me. Just me."  
  
Tom sighed, looking away, in irritation. After a while of silence, he spoke up again, "Look. I can see that you don't want this as much as I don't want it. But it's your final decision, I can't do anything about it. Tomorrow, I will see you off before going to work. RIGHT now, I want you to know that I'm so fucking pissed."  
  
He went to his own bedroom and Harry swallowed thickly as he felt a heavy cloud floating on top of his chest.  
  
Harry went through the house. He closed the television… then walked to the kitchen. He washed the dishes for one last time, then made some tea for himself, sipping from it as he went to the balcony to stare at the night view outside for some time.  
  
He asked himself so many questions.  
  
Was he doing the right thing?  
  
Is it okay for him to continue living with Tom longer?  
  
Is it okay for him to take advantage of the situation and get comfortable?  
  
Is it the right thing to leave?  
  
Everything came with a price. If he stayed, he'd suffer watching Tom move on with his life with another woman that he was so not ready to be buddies with. If he left, he would miss Tom's annoying ass so damn much to the point it will be hard to just breathe for a while.  
  
Was it all worth it?  
  
The boy desperately tried not get too damaged, and just go to sleep, and forget about everything for a while.

* * *

Early in the morning, he was prepared to leave the apartment for good.  
  
Tom hasn't talked to him all along so he assumed it was a bad sign and it broke his heart because they never got along during high school, but now that they did, Tom was going far away again. As if those three months never has happened.  
  
Harry went to the door, and faced the other who stood with an expressionless face to see him off before he heads to work.  
  
"So… this is it, BUDDY! Too bad you'll have to get another housekeeper soon."  
  
Tom remained silent eyeing him from head to toe.  
  
"C'mon, don't be like that. You know I LOVE you. Let's hug one last time."  
  
"You think this is funny?"  
  
Harry practically wanted to shout. "I will miss you okay? I promise I will come visit sometime."  
  
"…"  
  
"Let's hug. One last time~! C'mon!"  
  
Harry sang, but the other ignored him completely, as an awkward silence fell the void. Harry almost felt the urge to tear up at the sight of the house he lived in for three months whereas the other glared.  
  
Then at a minute, Tom started moving closer and closer, and Harry backed up by instinct.  
  
"What? Didn't you want a hug?"  
  
Harry stuttered, cursing himself. "Yeah, sure!"  
  
He felt warmth that he hadn't felt in forever. Like Tom's apartment wasn't giving him a hard time the past three months. It all vanished and Tom's addictive scent hit his sensitive nose.  
  
It was amazing. Harry found it really amazing…  
  
However…  
  
This hug was taking too long.  
  
"Um, I'm letting go, and you're not, why?" The question came out of him very cracked.  
  
"Stay."  
  
It was a slow, husky, hot, demanding whisper in his ear, which immediately was drowned in red.  
  
"Wha… Tom-"  
  
"I beg you stay." Tom's hold on his waist tightened and his face was suddenly too close for Harry to handle.  
  
No doubt, he was blushing, and it was so hard trying to hide It now. Just too fucking hard.  
  
"Don't slip away, I need you to stay, and you want to stay."  
  
"… HOW CAN YOU BE SO-"  
  
Suddenly, Tom's head dipped down, and pressed his lips strongly against his. That was when HIS mind had completely gone into a coma. He wasn't even sure that it was happening. His focus was on that taste in his mouth, and how he would pay anything to anyone for Tom to keep it like so.  
  
_Dear God, please tell me it's not a prank for all the fucking foolish things I did._  
  
He kissed the other back slowly, then both pulled away, Harry's face absolutely flushed with a complete frizzled look, he didn't even know when his fingers were caught up in Tom's hair, pulling him forward.  
  
He licked his lips, panting, then looked at the other with questioning eyes.  
  
"What…"  
  
"I… want you here. Stay."  
  
For a while, Harry thought that if anybody heard Tom's reasoning, they would laugh and call it not even a good one, but for him, it made him pour out some bubbled up sorrowful tears that immediately got brushed away by the other who leaned down to kiss him with new-found passion on the lips.  
  
"I want you. Stay?"  
  
It was a silly, silly reason.  
  
"Ok." Harry choked out a sad laugh, while being wrapped up in another bone crushing hug.  
  
Harry would take that silly reason.  
  
He would take it anytime.  
  
"Thank you, Harry."

* * *

**And Later.**

* * *

  
"Why did you close the guest room? I was getting cozy there."  
  
Tom scoffed. "Well, I will have you know, you can get pretty cozy with me on my bed just as well."  
  
"No Ulterior motives?" Harry asked suspiciously.  
  
"No Ulterior motives." Tom reassured.  
  
Well, Tom was a FUCKING liar cause the soreness in his body the next day was downright excruciating.

* * *

**And Later.**

* * *

  
"What the hell?! Tom! I thought I told you not throw everything like that! How much in your mind it'll take to clean all this?!"  
  
"You got nothing to do. Start working on it!"  
  
"I want to look for a job!"  
  
"You have a job."  
  
"I'm not your maid! GOD I COULD JUST KILL YOU!"  
  
Tom smirked as he watched the other fume around, but forced to clean anyway.  
  
He just has to keep him busy by his side, right? So easy as a piece of cake.

* * *

**And later.**

* * *

Harry watched as Tom continued to nap on the couch while he was preparing dinner. The mere sight of the asshole's peaceful face was too damn gorgeous to handle.  
  
He sighed after putting their meals on the dining table and went to get him to wake up.  
  
"Tom." Harry shook him slowly. "C'mon. Dinner is served."  
  
The other's eyes cracked his eyes open hardly then yawned.  
  
"C'mon. You can sleep later."  
  
The guy stared at him for a while, then pulled Harry down.  
  
Harry's shock was priceless. But was even greater when the other breathed and murmured a soft, "Stay…"  
  
Harry Potter was sucked by Tom.  
  
And he was sure that he was going to stay like that for a long while.  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This story was actually owned by someone else but a different pairing. I loved her/his story and thought I would make a Tom and Harry pairing with it. :)


End file.
